Murder trial ends in hung jury

LISBON -- A Columbiana County murder trial ended with a hung jury on Wednesday.

Christopher L. Miller, 36, of Salem, will go on trial again in November after a jury could not reach a unanimous verdict on murder and aggravated murder charges.

According to Columbiana County Prosecutor John Gamble, following a seven-day trial, one juror held out. "The court declared a mistrial after she (the juror) refused to budge," Gamble said.

However, Miller was found guilty of the tampering with evidence charge and the judge sentenced him immediately to three years, the maximum sentence.

Miller was charged in connection with the October 2013 bludgeoning death of Matthew Bailey.

On Oct. 26, 2013, the body of Matthew P. Bailey, 34, of Salem, was found shortly before 2 p.m. near a gas well road by a neighbor riding an ATV on the property, located in the 31000 block of Hartley Road.

At the beginning of the investigation, Chief Detective Allen Haueter said that the cause of Bailey's death was blunt force trauma. Haueter also said the murder didn't appear to have been committed at the site where Bailey's body was found.

According to the affidavit, Detective Sgt. Jeff Haugh recovered a 2001 Ford Escape, allegedly operated by Miller, which had blood on the inside and outside of the vehicle. That blood was identified through DNA testing and was determined to have belonged to Bailey.

Miller was interviewed three times and admitted to cleaning up the blood in the car to avoid detection prior to the deputy taking the vehicle into custody.

The complaint stated that Miller "did know that an investigation into Bailey's death was being conducted and did knowingly alter, destroy, conceal or remove a record, document or thing with purpose to impair its value or availability as evidence in such proceeding or investigation."

Miller was arraigned on Feb. 6 and his case was bound over to the grand jury.